Miral's First Christmas
by Diane Klepper
Summary: Tom, B'Elanna, and Miral prepare to spend their first Christmas as a family.


Miral's First Christmas  
  
  
  
  
  
By Diane Klepper  
  
  
  
  
  
(Author's Note: Seven months after Voyager comes home, Tom, B'Elanna, and Miral   
  
celebrate their first Christmas as a family.)  
  
  
  
  
  
B'Elanna Torres entered her apartment. Her arms were filled with packages. She   
  
put the packages on the table by the door and took off her coat. B'Elanna rubbed her   
  
hands up and down her arms trying to get warm. She still wasn't use to the cold San   
  
Francisco weather. She frowned at all the packages she bought. She promised herself so   
  
wouldn't go crazy with buying presents for her family and friends but some of the stuff at   
  
the mall she couldn't resist. She opened up a small package and smiled at the pink teddy   
  
bear she bought that had a bib that said "Daddy's Little Girl." Even though Miral already   
  
had four teddy bears B'Elanna couldn't resist buying this one. But secretly she got it   
  
more for Tom then for their daughter.   
  
  
  
Tom loved being a father and even though she loved Miral greatly she still   
  
sometimes felt uncomfortable around her daughter. She prayed to Kahless that she and   
  
Miral never became as estranged as she had become from her mother. When they found   
  
out Miral was on the way both B'Elanna and Tom promised that they would always put   
  
their daughter first and they would never try run her life like their parents did to them.   
  
  
  
She opened another package that had a gold- framed picture frame. She got that   
  
for her father to put a picture of Miral in for him. Even though she had only seen her John   
  
Torres three times since they got home they have talked regularly over the comm. system   
  
the last seven- month. She still missed her mother dearly and was comforted that her   
  
father was back in her life.   
  
  
  
She opened another box and smiled at the photo album she bought for her mother-  
  
in-law. She promised Maggie Paris that she would give her some of the pictures that she   
  
taken on Voyager during their seven- year journey. Many of the pictures were of her and   
  
Tom during their courtship and their eventual marriage. The pictures were on her   
  
nightstand already to be placed in the book. B'Elanna gave a little smirk remembering   
  
that some of the photographs she was planning on putting in the photo album were some   
  
of the embarrassing holo- photographs that the Doctor took of Tom over the last seven   
  
years. The Doctor gave her the pictures last week during Miral's check-up at Starfleet   
  
Medical. B'Elanna couldn't wait to see the expression on Tom's face when he saw them.   
  
That will be another great photo opportunity, she thought.   
  
  
  
Another package contained an old fashioned medical bag that she got for Tom.   
  
Even tough Tom constantly grumbled about taking the required courses he was taking to   
  
be a Starfleet doctor, B'Elanna knew that he secretly enjoyed his time working as a medic   
  
on Voyager even though he would never tell the Doctor that. She wondered what Tom   
  
got her. Even they always exchanged presents on Voyager, often they had to give each   
  
other small things because of replicator rationing.  
  
  
  
B'Elanna was about to take all the packages into the bedroom when she heard   
  
Tom in the living room talking to Miral. Even though Tom wasn't expecting her for   
  
another hour she decided to see what he was doing. She smiled at the sight she saw. Miral   
  
was in her play- pen with her thumb in her mouth and holding on to the blanket Kathryn   
  
Janeway gave her. She was staring transfixed at Tom who was putting final touches on   
  
their tree.   
  
  
  
Tom put the star on top of the tree and climbed down the step- ladder. He then   
  
walked over to Miral and took her out of the play-pen He kissed her on the forehead and   
  
said, "Miral what do you think of your first Christmas tree."  
  
  
  
Miral made a few happy babbling noises and Tom smiled. "I knew you would like   
  
it. …Christmas was always my favorite holiday as a boy." Tom gave a slight frown,   
  
"Your Grandpa Owen made me attend all these fancy Starfleet holiday parties where I   
  
was expected to act like the perfect cadet…but Christmas was just for family."  
  
  
  
Tom walked over to the replicator and ordered a bottle of milk for Miral and then   
  
sat down on the coach with her in his lap. Miral quietly drank her bottle as Tom   
  
continued to talk. "On Christmas your Aunt Kathleen, Aunt Moira and I use to wake up   
  
really early. Your Grandpa Owen and Grandma Maggie would always be in the kitchen   
  
having coffee." Tom smirked, "Your Grandma Maggie always insisted we eat a good   
  
breakfast…She always made homemade pancakes or waffles…She would never use the   
  
replicator on Christmas…everything had to be homemade."  
  
  
  
B'Elanna listened from the hallway smiling. Tom didn't have that many great   
  
childhood memories but she was glad that he had some Christmas memories to share with   
  
Miral. She continued to listen.  
  
  
  
Tom stroked Miral's soft black hair. "Then after breakfast your Grandpa would   
  
read us A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. That was one of my favorite books   
  
growing up besides stories about the sea…Then after that we would in turn each open   
  
one present." Tom smiled, "I was always allowed to open the first present because I was   
  
the youngest." Miral still drinking her bottle looked at him confused look.  
  
  
  
Tom smiled and kissed her on her forehead ridges and said, "Hey being the baby   
  
of the family had to have some advantages….my big sisters constantly teased me and   
  
bossed me around…But guess what Sweetie if I have my way you will be the big sister in   
  
a few years… Hopefully we can convince your Mommy." Tom gave a little smirk, "I just   
  
have to figure out a way for me to carry him or her…I'm sure if it really comes down to it   
  
the Doc will figure out a way to do it… just to give me morning sickness."  
  
  
  
B'Elanna smirked from her hiding place. She also wanted to give Miral a little   
  
brother or sister and there was no way she would let Tom carry their next child. She   
  
enjoyed the often- comical banter that went or with Tom and his sisters whenever they   
  
were in the room together. She felt she missed something not growing up with a sibling   
  
and she didn't want Miral to have to go through that.  
  
  
  
Tom stood up still holding Miral in his arms. He walked over to the tree and   
  
smiled. "You know sweetheart every year my parents would put a new ornament on the   
  
Christmas tree to commemorate a special event. I remember the Christmas after your   
  
Grandpa Owen took me out for my first shuttle flight. He and your Grandma Maggie put   
  
an ornament of the ship I flew on the tree. That was always my favorite ornament…But   
  
now I have a new one." He shifted Miral so he could hold her in one hand and with his   
  
free hand he fingered an ornament and said, "Miral…this is for you. It reads Miral   
  
Katherine Paris's first Christmas December 25, 2178…" Tom kissed his daughter on her   
  
cheek and said, "Miral ….my love I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure   
  
all your Christmases will be happy."   
  
  
  
B'Elanna wiped a tear from her eye and was about to go back into the other room   
  
when she heard a small voice say, "Ma….Ma.."  
  
  
  
Tom looked at the direction Miral was gazing at and saw B'Elanna there. He   
  
smiled at his beautiful wife. "How long have you've been home?"  
  
  
  
B'Elanna walked into the living room and took Miral from Tom's arms. "I only   
  
got back a few minutes ago." She looked at the ornament and smiled, "The ornament is   
  
beautiful…when did you get it."  
  
  
  
Tom smirked, "Two days ago when I took Miral to visit my parents my Mom was   
  
unpacking the Christmas ornaments. She roped me into helping her decorate the tree and   
  
I saw the ornament for my shuttle ride and I thought Miral should have her own special   
  
ornament."  
  
  
  
B'Elanna kissed Tom on the lips, "I think that is a lovely tradition…I like the idea   
  
of hanging a new ornament each year…for both Miral and any future siblings."  
  
  
  
Tom blushed, "You heard that."  
  
  
  
B'Elanna smirked. "Yes I did Helmboy…and you better watch your step or I will   
  
make you carry the next one."  
  
  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
  
  
B'Elanna looked at her daughter and saw that she was yawning. "I think our little   
  
angel is tired."  
  
  
  
"I think I wore her out today…we had to do some last minute Christmas   
  
shopping."   
  
  
  
B'Elanna frowned, "Tom I hope you didn't go crazy and buy her too many   
  
toys…I don't want her to get too spoiled."  
  
  
  
Tom laughed, "Too late for that…Wait till you see all the stuff her Grandpa Owen   
  
and Grandma Maggie bought for her."  
  
  
  
She kissed Miral on the cheek and then put her in Tom's arms. "Tom I'm have   
  
some last minute wrapping I have to do so will you please put Miral to bed."  
  
  
  
Tom gave B'Elanna a gentle kiss on the lips. "Did you get me a present?"  
  
  
  
B'Elanna smirked, "You have to wait until Christmas like a good boy to find   
  
out…now put her to bed."  
  
  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
  
  
B'Elanna watched as Tom carried Miral into her nursery. She then touch Miral's   
  
ornament and smiled. "Merry Christmas Miral." 


End file.
